YES LATIN AMERICA Adding value and innovation from Latin America to promote sustainable and productive livelihoods for t

1. YES LATIN AMERICAAdding value and innovation from Latin Americato promote sustainable and productive livelihoods for the youth

2. THE CHALLENGE IN LATIN AMERICA • 62% of the population has less than 30 years old: demographic bonus • The most unequal continent in the world: the biggest gaps between the richest and the poorest (affects gender, urban/rural, ethnics and digital gap) • 2/3 of the population is under the line of poverty: main affected the women, the children and the youth. • The youth unemployment rate duplicate and in some cases triplicate the media unemployment rate. • It is the region of the world with highest rate of violent youth death: 36 each 100.000 and in some countries it is higher. • It has the highest failure and repitency school rate around the world.

3. LATIN AMERICA and the MDGs “The main reason for the unequity in Latin America and the Caribbean is that the region has not improved the income distribution and the access to goods and productive resources for the poorest ones, situation which is worsen by the lack of employment opportunities” Report “MDGs Achievements in Latin America and the Caribbean” United Nations Interagential Report June 2005

4. YES LATIN AMERICA A REGIONAL COORDINATION: REGIONAL OFFICE AND A TEAM 17 YES NETWORKS WITHIN THE REGION • YES Argentina • YES Bolivia • YES Brasil • YES Chile • YES Colombia • YES Costa Rica • YES Ecuador • YES El Salvador • YES Guatemala • YES Honduras • YES México • YES Panamá • YES Paraguay • YES Perú • YES República Dominicana • YES Nicaragua • YES Uruguay

5. Latin America A succesful region in the YES Campaign 2002 • When the YES Campaign was launched it was co-chaired by two persons originally from Latin America: Carlos Magariños and Esteban Gonzalez - A YES Latin American Ambassador was appointed by Esteban Gonzalez: a honorific and volunteer based position to promote the Campaign within the region 2004 • The YES Campaign organices itself within 6 regions and formally the YES Regional Coordination start to work professionaly and full time for the YES Campaign in the region. • II YES Summit is hosted in Veracruz, Mexico: great regional participation and visibility of the power of the YES Campaign in the Latin American region. • A regional action plan 2004-2006 is adopted by the YES Networks in the region in order to define regional priorities and to have a common regional strategy to then apply and adjust in the national level.

6. Latin America A succesful region in the YES Campaign 2005 • From April of 2005, we have edited monthly a YES Latin America Electronic Newsletter: INFOYES América Latina: we compile and report on YES Networks achievements through: study cases, news reports, YES coordinators profiles, network profiles, etc. • July 2005: the YES Latin America Regional Office opens in the City of Knowledge in Panama City in its Enteprises Incubator: an incubator for regional synergies and strategic alliances for the development of regional programs and projects under the umbrella of the YES Campaign. • September 2005: First Latin American YES Coordinators Workshop: *We reviewed the regional vission, mission, values and priorities of the YES Campaign in the region * A mid term evaluation and adjustment of the YES Latin America Regional Action Plan 2004-2006 *Se realizó la revisión de visión, misión, valores y prioridades de YES en América Latina *New challenges for the region were identified taken into account: accomplishments to date, strenghness and weakness

7. Latin America A succesful region in the YES Campaign 2005: I Latin American Encounter on Youth Employment: Toward Achieving the Millenium Development Goals • Asuncion, Paraguay, september 2005: hosted by the Government of Paraguay and YES Latin America with the coordination of YES Paraguay. • Tecnical and finnancial support of international organizations such as: UNIDO, UNFPA, UNDP, ILO/YEN, World Bank, IADB, CORDAID, IICA, GTZ • Participation of the key multistakeholders of the youth employment in the region to build up a common agenda to achieve MDGs through youth empowerment, participation, enterpreneurship and employment. • Showcase of successful programs, projects and public policy advocaty leaded by YES Networks in the region • Formalization of partnerships through MOUs signed by YES Latin America and its partners within the region • I YES Latin American Coordinators Workshop • A specific forum on “Youth Employment Planns” that agree a route map on the YES/YEN collaboration in the Latin American region • A Bussiness Round Table for Youth Employment Projects with participation of World Bank and the Interamerican Development Bank (IADB) • Asuncion Declaration on Youth Employment: recommendation to the YES Campaign to include the E of Ethics in its Framework of Action and a platform for regional cooperation through MDGs achievement through the YES Campaign umbrella and framework of action: presented to the Presidential Summit of the Americas by the government of Paraguay. • Second regional YES Latin Ameican encounter to be held in 2007 in Dominican Republic hosted by the President of Dominican Republic and YES Latin America with the organization of YES Dominican Republic.

8. YES LATIN AMERICA: ACHIEVEMENTS 2006 • YES LATIN AMERICA WEB PAGE: in Spanish • Regional proposals design and submission to donors, international agencies and private companies and foundations in the global, regional and national level with the participation of YES Networks. • YES Network best practices collected for further scaling up in the regional level • Public policy advocacy in the regional and national level: YEN and ILO Regional Employment Program; working in partnership with Labor Ministers in our countries. • First level latin american participation in YES Kenya 2006: a Latin American president co-.host the YES Kenya Summit; 6 YES networks will present their success stories in their countries, the regional experience presented.

9. www.yesamericalatina.org

10. YES LATIN AMERICA: KEYS FOR SUCCESS • Regional Capacity Building: team building, regional identity and priorities, a common voice for common needs respecting diversity; strategic planning, regional encounters and infrastructure. • Regional Reporting and Accountability System: through the monthly newsletter and the YES Web Page. • A unified and common marketing, communication and funding strategy in the national, regional and global level. • Institutionalization: MOUs with regional partners, powerful YES host agencies in each countries. • Knowledge building: sharing best practices and models through regional encounters, regional training, publications, etc. • The people behind it: our YES Coordinators are well recognized leaders and entepreneurs in their countries coming from different backgrounds.

11. In YES LATIN AMERICA we believe that: Only working together with a cooperative, sinergic and multistakeholder approach, we will make Latin America to be a region that at the same time will be: • Economically Competitive • Environmentally Sustainable • Socially Inclusive

12. THANKS!